About five dozen people listened and sang along as Rabbi Josef Konikov of Chabad of South Orlando recited three blessings for the first...

]]>Tue, 12 Dec 2017 17:50:00 PSTTrump's Israel announcement draws mixed reviews in Central FloridaSusan Jacobsonhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-israel-jerusalem-capital-20171207-story.html
Rasha Mubarak was outraged when she heard President Donald Trump had defied seven decades of U.S. public policy by officially recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

“This is a dismissal of the Palestinian people,” said Mubarak, regional director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations...

]]>Thu, 7 Dec 2017 14:30:00 PSTMission team finds 'poignant and sad' scene in Puerto RicoRosemarie Dowellhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-lk-florida-hospital-waterman-puerto-rico-mission-trip-20171205-story.html
Nearly three weeks after powerful Hurricane Maria walloped Puerto Rico, a small private jet carrying a local medical mission team started its descent into the airport at San Juan.

Below, the Category 4 storm’s Sept. 20 destruction was strikingly evident and the three physicians on board, all natives...

]]>Mon, 11 Dec 2017 05:00:00 PSTChurch seminars to teach gospel of securitySusan Jacobsonhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-church-security-northland-20171130-story.html
Not so many years ago, church doors were wide open to parishioners and guests, no questions asked.

But since a 2015 shooting at a church in Charleston, S.C., killed nine people at a Bible study, church security has become mandatory for most large congregations.

On Saturday, Northland, A Church...

]]>Thu, 30 Nov 2017 10:25:00 PSTInterfaith service aims to build bridges in divisive timesSusan Jacobsonhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-interfaith-service-brings-people-together-20171110-story.html
In a world full of division and strife, the Interfaith Council of Central Florida is hoping a prayer service Sunday will help build a bridge to unity and peace.

The council is inviting people of all religions — and no religion — to attend the hourlong event starting at 3 p.m. at St. James Catholic...

Five hundred years ago, a set of criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church that were nailed to a church door in Germany unleashed a revolution that has shaped the world’s political, cultural and economic landscape ever since.

On Monday, members of two Lake County churches — Lutheran and Catholic...

]]>Thu, 2 Nov 2017 13:25:00 PDTNew mosque highlights growth of Muslim community in Central FloridaSusan Jacobsonhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-mosque-sanford-masjid-al-hajj-20171031-story.html
A 130-foot-tall minaret rises above former pastureland south of Sanford, beckoning the Muslim faithful to a new mosque that took seven years and millions of dollars to build.

Leaders at Masjid Al Hayy — the name means “ever-living mosque” in Arabic — say they hope the 43,000-square-foot building...

]]>Fri, 10 Nov 2017 13:35:00 PSTRollins College keeps the faith, expands outreach to students of different religionsSusan Jacobsonhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-rollins-college-jewish-student-life-20171025-story.html
WINTER PARK — Rollins College is known for its liberal-arts curriculum and lush campus on the shore of Lake Virginia.

Now, the school is hoping to gain recognition as a center for religious life and discourse.

The college of 1,942 undergraduates hired its first associate director of Jewish student...

]]>Mon, 30 Oct 2017 11:45:00 PDTAnti-gay Westboro Baptist pickets at Valencia College, 3 churches near OrlandoSusan Jacobsonhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-westboro-baptist-church-valencia-college-20171023-story.html
A handful of protesters from the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church showed up Monday morning at Valencia College’s west campus and on Sunday morning at several churches in Seminole County, law officers said.

There were no scuffles and no arrests.

The group stayed at the college for about half an hour,...

]]>Mon, 23 Oct 2017 11:45:00 PDTGov. Rick Scott recommends $1 million for day-school security in FloridaSusan Jacobsonhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-jewish-day-schools-florida-20171019-story.html
Jewish day schools in Florida would get $1 million for security improvements in the 2018-2019 fiscal year under a budget recommendation announced Thursday in Maitland by Gov. Rick Scott.

The governor said he would recommend the increase in funding — up from $654,000 this year — so all day schools...

At the front of the room were mountains of colorful vegetarian food and drink given as thanks to...

]]>Fri, 20 Oct 2017 16:50:00 PDTWestboro Baptist Church, known for anti-gay picketing, to protest at Seminole County churchesSusan Jacobsonhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-westboro-baptist-church-seminole-county-20171017-story.html
Some Seminole County churchgoers may be confronted Sunday morning with protesters from Westboro Baptist Church, a Kansas-based group that blames mass shootings, hurricanes and other disasters on “sins” it says include homosexuality and abortion.

Westboro was last in Central Florida in June 2016,...

]]>Wed, 18 Oct 2017 11:45:00 PDTChurch network seeks to guide homeless families to self-sufficiencySusan Jacobsonhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-community-resource-network-joel-hunter-20171012-story.html
When homeless people come to Altamonte Chapel, the congregation welcomes them to worship and offers the help it can: a meal, a ride, maybe some new clothes.

But the small church doesn’t have the resources to get them off the streets permanently. That’s why it joined the new Community Resource Network...

]]>Thu, 12 Oct 2017 15:30:00 PDTChristian Science church property sells for $5 millionSusan Jacobsonhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-christian-science-church-5-million-sale-20171011-story.html
The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Winter Park has sold a portion of its property to a developer for more than $5 million, documents filed Wednesday show.

Church leaders had said they planned to sign the deal Friday, and the deed shows that is what happened. The price was $5,035,000.

The church...

]]>Wed, 11 Oct 2017 07:35:00 PDTDemolition of historic Christian Science church rankles some membersSusan Jacobsonhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-christian-science-church-winter-park-20170929-story.html
WINTER PARK — Bunny Simmerson, a member of First Church of Christ, Scientist, for more than five decades, loves the Greek Revival church building designed by a prominent Winter Park architect.

That’s why Simmerson is vowing to fight a decision by the congregation to demolish the 1958 structure...

“To slam doors and divide families based on religious beliefs is not what this country is...

]]>Tue, 26 Sep 2017 11:10:00 PDTJewish history exhibit to showcase contributions to Orlando communitySusan Jacobsonhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-jewish-history-exhibit-orlando-20170906-story.html
When members of Congregation Ohev Shalom in Maitland began planning their centennial celebration, it soon became clear that the story they wanted to tell was bigger than just one synagogue.

]]>Wed, 20 Sep 2017 13:20:00 PDTMusic director backs out on position at Catholic Diocese of OrlandoStephen Hudakhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-fbi-probe-orlando-diocese-music-director-20170918-story.html
The newly appointed music director for the Catholic Diocese of Orlando withdrew from the job before his background check was completed and while the FBI was conducting a child-exploitation investigation in Long Island, N.Y., where he directed youth choirs.

Michael Wustrow was supposed to begin...

]]>Mon, 18 Sep 2017 12:35:00 PDTCatholic church music director investigated on child-exploitation chargesSusan Jacobsonhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-catholic-church-orlando-diocese-child-music-director-20170918-story.html
A Catholic church music director who was hired by the Diocese of Orlando and was going to work at St. James Cathedral is being investigated for possible child exploitation, the church in New York said Saturday.

Michael Wustrow, 55, had been scheduled to become the new music director for the diocese...

]]>Mon, 18 Sep 2017 11:50:00 PDTHurricane Irma prompts closure of most Orlando churches, some synagoguesSusan Jacobsonhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-hurricane-irma-churches-orlando-20170907-story.html
The faithful will have to pray at home this weekend. Hurricane Irma has prompted the cancellation of Sunday services at most Central Florida houses of worship.

Religious leaders cited the strength of the storm as reasons for the unusual move.

“This is a dangerous storm, and I would not want people...

]]>Fri, 8 Sep 2017 12:15:00 PDTFree-speech forum attracts hundreds in search of answers after CharlottesvilleSusan Jacobsonhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-holocaust-center-hate-free-speech-charlottesville-20170822-story.html
The answer to hate speech is not to suppress it but to speak out and unite against it, several members of a panel on free speech said Tuesday night.

“Part of the problem with public discourse is shouting back and forth, and it’s us versus them,” said Terri Day, a professor at Barry University’s...

]]>Tue, 22 Aug 2017 18:10:00 PDTForum explores limits of free speech after Charlottesville 'Unite the Right' marchSusan Jacobsonhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-free-speech-hate-speech-charlottesville-20170817-story.html
The sight of neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klansmen and other white supremacists chanting and marching in Charlottesville, Va., last weekend has ignited a debate in Central Florida and around the nation about hatred and the limits of free speech.

]]>Sat, 19 Aug 2017 04:50:00 PDTNorthland church Pastor Joel Hunter trades pulpit for nonprofit to aid homelessSusan Jacobsonhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-joel-hunter-northland-church-resigns-20170803-story.html
Joel Hunter has been one of Central Florida’s foremost religious leaders, synonymous for more than three decades with Longwood’s evangelical megachurch Northland, A Church Distributed.

But within the next couple of months, Hunter, 69, plans to step down from the calling he once thought he would...

]]>Thu, 3 Aug 2017 13:15:00 PDTNorthland church Senior Pastor Joel Hunter announces he is stepping downSusan Jacobsonhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-northland-church-pastor-joel-hunter-resigns-20170802-story.html
Senior Pastor Joel Hunter is stepping down from his longtime position at Northland, A Church Distributed, according to a letter posted Wednesday on the Longwood congregation’s website.

Hunter, whose church has one of the largest evangelical congregations in Florida, notified the governing elders...

]]>Wed, 2 Aug 2017 18:55:00 PDTNewest travel ban worries Central Florida MuslimsSusan Jacobsonhttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/os-trump-travel-ban-muslim-countries-20170707-story.html
Ibtihal Ibrahim was hoping that she had heard the last of President Donald Trump’s travel ban singling out Muslim-majority countries when it was struck down in court.

But now that a modified version has gone into effect, she said she is sad that her relatives in Sudan — and people in all six countries...